Down the Line
by MyLovelyMarauder
Summary: Just a short Stucky fic that I wrote while listening to If It Means Alot to You by A Day to Remember.


**A/N ~ For all of you people out there who don't like the man love, this is Steve/Bucky, you have been warned. **  
**Okay so this is a small oneshot I got the idea for listening to If It Means Alot to You by A Day To Remember. If you want you can listen to that song while reading.**  
**Any and all mistakes are mine, if I made a spelling or grammatical mistake and it bugs you I am sorry. **  
**Finally, Disclaimer: Nothing you recognize belongs to me, I'm writing this for my personal enjoyment, not for profit.**  
**Enjoy ^^**

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*It's morning, and Steve and Bucky are saying their final goodbyes.*

"Steve, it…it won't be that long." Bucky tried again. Steve looked exasperated. "A war? A war won't be that long? Buck, you know you can't lie to me. Why try?" "Because kid, you just-"Bucky sighed before continuing. "You, don't want me to go." He wanted to add I don't want to leave you either, but he couldn't force the words out. From the understanding look Steve gives him, he supposes he doesn't need to say it, Steve just knows him well enough to grasp how he feels. He walks closer to Steve, raising a hand intending to offer him a comforting pat to the shoulder, but the needy look that Steve gives him makes his hand stutter. It makes him look deep into Steve's blue eyes and he swallows thickly, suddenly feeling extremely nervous. Instead of landing his hand on Steve's shoulder he allows it to gently, timidly, cup his cheek. The blush that's spreads through Steve's pale skin makes him prettier than any dame could ever be, and Bucky smiles softly. He wants to say something confident, but all he can muster is a mushy- "You're beautiful when you blush." The soft pink turns into a rose red and just when Bucky thinks Steve is gonna say something equally mushy Steve smiles and softly murmurs "Jerk." It's not mushy at all, not to others, but to Buck, it's one of the sweetest words he could've ever heard. He mumbles back a weak "Punk." Before he lightly kisses Steve's lips, both of their eyes slipping shut and when they open them Bucky grins and whispers "I promise, I'll be back." He makes a silent promise to himself that they can finish this when he does. Steve manages a strong smile. "You better soldier."

*Steve is sitting in his tent, after Bucky fell*

Peggy steps into Steve's tent quietly. "Permission to enter, Captain?" "Permission granted." Steve whispers back, his voice hoarse as if he hadn't used it in ages, as if he'd been crying. She walks towards the chair he's sitting at, about to place a hand gently on his shoulder, but thinks better of it. She thought their talk in the bar had made him feel better, but obviously it had not. If it weren't for the sobs she could hear clear outside, she wouldn't have known. So instead of offering him her hand, she takes up the chair next to him, just as before, and waits. The words he speaks next confuse her. "I bet you're a mighty fine partner, Agent Carter." "Steve?" He continues as if she hadn't spoken. "Bucky…he had a lot of partners in his days. Heh. One of the best men you could ever dance with…I know personally, he tried to teach me." He lets out, what Peggy assumes was supposed to be a chuckle, but sounded more like a choked sob. "Well, does that mean you're as skilled as he was?" She ventures, trying to play along. "No, I suppose I needed more lessons, and Bucky…all I had to do was say I was thinking about learning and he'd step up, take my hands and pull me toward him." And, finally some of the puzzle arranged in her brain. "He loved you." She doesn't have to clarify romantically, she can see in his tensed shoulders he understands. "He didn't want to leave, didn't want me to go either. He followed, because I was leading. What was I to do? I couldn't put the war aside to make us comfortable." And, then looking at him, finally really looking at him, the neediness to his puffy eyes, the defeat in his hunched shoulders, observed the rawness to his voice, she understood. "You loved him too." And Steve was crying once more and all she could do, was finally offer him her hand.

*Bucky finally stopped running*

He doesn't know why he stopped running. Maybe it was the distressed look he kept seeing on Steve's face every time he looked through his scope. Or maybe it was the way his stomach twisted, much like it used to, when he would look at Steve. Or maybe he was more reckless than they both thought, but either way, he stopped running. It didn't take long for Steve to find him, he thinks it's been three days, but he could be a little off, the nights run longer than the days and he's correct in thinking it's winter. When Steve approaches him cautiously, a worried look spread across his features the Winter Soldier wants to take advantage of his vulnerabilities, but Bucky, Bucky wants to be wrapped in the arms Steve is stretching towards him. So he settles for timidly holding his own flesh hand out and Steve's shoulders relax minimally before he clasps their hands together. "You all right Buck?" And, Steve sounds nervous, because they both know that no, no he's not all right, but right now, Bucky also knows he's felt worse and he voices that. "I've been better." And his voice is hoarse from disuse, but the way Steve relaxes near fully makes the state of his voice seem unimportant. Before he knows what's fully happening Steve is pulling him up and he sways, the blood rushing to his head to fast and Steve has to catch him so he doesn't fall. "M'sorry." Steve mumbles, and Bucky wants say it's okay, but where Steves arm is wrapped around his torso is warm and he feels so terribly tired he can't manage it. Instead he says something that Steve will most likely rib him about later, but as of now it only manages to bring a small flush to the slightly taller mans cheeks. Bucky fears that Steve won't be able to help him, and that he stopped running and will become a burden on Steve all for nothing. Steve fears that he won't be able to help and Bucky will start running all over again.  
They both have iron wills, neither would be happy or whole without the other. They don't know yet that Bucky won't run and Steve can help more than any therapist Tony could afford. Don't know that Steve never stopped thinking about Bucky's love and Bucky never stopped reacting to Steves touch. Because, besides…Bucky made a promise to himself all those years ago. He promised he'd finish what he started.

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**And, I really don't like the end, it just kind of came out as a blurb, but if you liked the story as a whole, or just tidbits, even if you hated it, I enjoy reviews. Have a nice day ^^ ~MLM**


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